“Almost killed them all?”

“Are most of the reincarnated orphans?”

Hu Ma was inexplicably shocked by the last few words left by the reincarnated woman.

Before he could ask anything else, she had already disconnected.

But it triggered many of his speculations. Before…

And now he had encountered…

Listening to them, they always inadvertently revealed the cruelty, even the ruthlessness, of this world.

Now, in the wider world, what kind of relationship had they developed?

Especially when he thought of some of the worlds this woman mentioned, and that person codenamed Erguotou…

Even in this situation, he could be ruthlessly crushed to death by his own biological father with a stone roller?

This world could even accept Granny Huai helping those stillborn children reincarnate, but it couldn't accept these reincarnated people who had awakened their memories of their past lives?

On the contrary, he seemed more like possessing someone, but Granny seemed to have accepted him…

It seemed that the problem of reincarnation was far more complicated than he thought.

Unfortunately, this mysterious reincarnated woman seemed to be emotionally touched and was unwilling to talk to him anymore.

“Let’s go back first!”

He also negotiated with the old shopkeeper and was surprised to find that although this group of nobles from the city were arrogant, they were actually quite easy to talk to.

As a guide, he hadn't led them to what they wanted, so he hadn't finished the job, and even abandoned it halfway, delaying their affairs. But the old shopkeeper still gave him the three taels of silver as a reward.

In this way, he could end the trip early and help Hu Ma send Granny back to Dayang Village.

“Returning to one’s roots is a major event. Granny was such a good person, helping so many people in her lifetime. After death, she should always be buried in the old fire pit…”

Helping Hu Ma collect Granny’s remains, wrapping them in layers of black cloth, Second Grandpa’s face was very heavy.

Hu Ma knew where Granny was going, but Second Grandpa didn’t. He was obviously really sad.

And Granny’s instructions were like this, so Hu Ma naturally wouldn't object, just thinking silently in his heart.

People in this world valued returning to their roots. Second Grandpa felt that letting Granny enter the old fire pit was a very important thing.

But according to Granny, the Hu family came from outside, and also mentioned something about an "ancestral hall." Could it be that the Hu family actually had something similar to an "old fire pit" outside?

The background of this identity was far more complicated than he thought.

However, for the current him, it was useless to consider these things. He still had to heal himself first.

At that moment, Hu Ma and Second Grandpa collected Granny’s remains, thanked the group of people from the city, and embarked on the return journey together.

Originally, Hu Ma planned to carry Granny on his back himself, but Second Grandpa was worried that he couldn't handle it. He cut vines into ropes, carried Granny on his back, and sighed to Hu Ma, "Your Granny just wanted you to take care of your health, get married and start a family. You have to listen to her…"

"Now the evil spirits sent by your family's enemies have been resolved by Granny, so you don't have to seal the furnace anymore…"

"Either, after returning, come with me to the blood food mine to earn some silver. I'll see which girl is good and talk to her about becoming your wife?"

"…"

Hu Ma felt a little helpless listening to this.

Second Grandpa, despite being a virgin for sixty years, was actually quite enthusiastic about these things…

When they came, there were many people, so the forest seemed more normal.

When they went back, there were only two people, a corpse, and a ghost, so the forest was deep and eerie. Although Hu Ma was in a heavy mood, he still felt rustling noises in the forest from time to time, always a little unsettling.

Deep in the forest, there seemed to be many things secretly peeping at him. Occasionally, when he turned his head, he even saw a somewhat familiar tree stump, quietly resting behind a clump of trees, as if a figure in wide robes and sleeves was sitting on it, quietly watching him.

He was already unhappy, but he was also annoyed by this ghostly presence, and angrily took out the broadsword he was carrying on his back.

If it were normal, he would be afraid of the mysterious things in these deep mountains.

But now, if anything dared to provoke him, he would ignite the fire in his furnace and fight them.

"Don't panic…"

Second Grandpa saw this, reached out and pressed Hu Ma's shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Your Granny is a zou gui ren (spirit walker)."

"Zou gui ren (spirit walkers) not only help people, but also help the goblins in this forest."

"Those things aren't here to harm you. They've come to see your Granny off."

"…"

Hu Ma heard this, and sheepishly put away his broadsword. After walking forward a few steps, he reacted.

Turning around, he slowly bowed towards the gradually disappearing tree stump.

The surrounding trees and weeds rustled suddenly, and vaguely visible shadows, uncertain, bowed and cupped their hands, as if gratefully returning the salute.

…

On this return trip, Hu Ma should have seen, or rather, sensed the most evil spirits and eerie presences since he came to this world, but the journey was unusually smooth.

He and Second Grandpa spent a day and a half rushing back to Dayang Village.

The people in the village were unaware. The old patriarch was leading a donkey, just returning from the field with two large baskets of potatoes.

Seeing two figures, one tall and one short, from a distance, he was immediately startled and walked a few steps quickly, leading the donkey:

"Why are you back?"

"Didn't we tell you to serve the nobles from the city well? Did you offend someone and get chased back?"

"…"

"The nobles were not dissatisfied, and they paid me the wages."

Second Grandpa looked at the old patriarch, his voice already choked up as he spoke, "Brother, I've also found Granny."

"She's, she's gone."

"…"

"Ah?"

The old patriarch was still dissatisfied just now, but he was greatly shocked upon hearing this, and stared blankly at the human figure wrapped in black cloth behind Second Grandpa.

After a long time, his legs softened and he trembled as he moved forward, "Poor Granny…"

A cry of grief immediately spread throughout the village. People nearby rushed over, and upon hearing that Granny had passed away, they all mourned and shed tears, helping to send Granny back to the main room of Hu Ma's house, tearing white cloth and hemp rope, and draping it over Hu Ma.

Second Grandpa instructed Hu Ma to guard the spirit for Granny in the main room, and asked the old patriarch to set up camp here, while he took a sickle and rope and went out.

He was going out to cut yin wood for burning the corpse for Granny.

The custom in the village was that the dead were not placed in coffins, unless there were special problems.

Ordinary families had to prepare special wood for burning the corpse, carried by relatives and debtors into the old fire pit, so the wood for burning the corpse was the most important thing.

The better the family, the better and more wood they used for burning the corpse, and the more dignified the funeral would be.

Hu Ma didn't expect that not long after Second Grandpa left, the neighbors who had heard the news of the misfortune also rushed over.

They were usually afraid of his family, not only daring not to speak to him, but even avoiding Granny when they saw her, but now, they all rushed over.

Those who could help helped, those who should cry mourned, and some even brought dry firewood one by one, which was the same as Second Grandpa going out to cut. In Dayang Village, the most dignified funeral was when the wood for burning the corpse did not need to be prepared by the family, but was collected by the neighbors, one piece each.

This represented being respected.

"Granny, the younger generation didn't understand things before, I, an old woman, am here to apologize to you…"

Unexpectedly, not only the neighbors came, but even Grandma Cui from the Cui family came with her family.

Hu Ma didn't recognize the Cui family, but he understood when he saw Cui Xie'er behind the crowd. He saw that Grandma Cui cried so much that she could barely breathe as soon as she entered the main room, and reprimanded her ignorant children and grandchildren in front of everyone.

The old patriarch came over to persuade her, and Grandma Cui immediately stopped crying and sat down in the outer shed.

Cui the Elder, a weathered man who was already over fifty, also led his brothers to kowtow in front of Granny's hall:

"Our family didn't understand things in those years, Granny, please don't blame us. We're here today to see you off."

"…"

After crying, he got up and talked to the surrounding villagers. He raised his eyes and saw a pile of firewood piled up in front of the spirit. A man in his forties next to Cui the Elder frowned and said, "What are you doing? It's right to prepare the best coffin for Granny!"

Suddenly, the entire mourning hall became quiet, and everyone looked up in surprise at Cui the Second.

"Cui the Second, what are you talking about?"

The old patriarch outside also heard this and his expression changed drastically. He rushed into the hall and scolded:

"Granny has worked hard for our Dayang Village all her life, shouldn't she enter the old fire pit?"

"…"

Cui the Second frowned and waved his hand, while Cui the Elder hurriedly pulled the old patriarch and smiled, "Uncle, don't be angry."

"Let's go, let's talk outside."

"…"

The old patriarch frowned and was surrounded by the Cui brothers out of the mourning hall. Several elders in the room saw this and followed out.

Hu Ma didn't say anything, but he saw everything in his eyes, and anger rose in his heart.

He glanced at Little Hong Tang on the beam above, signaling her to follow out and listen to what they were saying outside.